Green, Black & White but Red no more...
- thegreenwash
- May 21, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 9, 2020
“Green Monday” was an idea envisioned by local campaigners to increase the number of people protesting at Cuadrilla Resources Limited’s Lancashire hydraulic fracturing (fracking) site situated on the A583 near Blackpool. But instead of a unifying day, Green Monday, through a strategy of creeping normalcy, became the vehicle by which the Green Party, in collaboration with Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace, publicised and promoted their own political agenda and in doing so completed their ultimate take-over of Preston New Road to the virtual exclusion of all other political parties.
In August 2017 local Lancashire campaigners, many of whom had been actively opposing Cuadrilla since the first frack at Preese Hall on 1st April 2011 had led to earthquakes and property and home damage, came up with the idea of colour-coding different days of the week in the hope of providing an incentive to people of various political persuasion, and none, to join in the protest and swell the numbers of those opposing fracking at the Preston New Road site.
Monday 21st August was to be the first ever Green Monday & invitations were sent to the Green Party & environmental groups all around the country by way of “Eventbrite”. The designated days should have been as follows:
“Green Monday”, Green Party and Environmental Groups
"Rainbow Tuesday", Liberal Democrats and Independants
"Blue Wednesday", Conservatives
“Friends of Lancashire Thursday”
"Red Friday”, Labour and Trades Unions
However, on the same day as the invitations were posted on social media a person calling herself “Charlotte Baker”, not known at that time but since confirmed to be an alias, commented the time of the event had been changed and that, henceforth, the Green Party would be organising all Green Monday events in future. This action was the beginning of the Party’s take over of Green Mondays and (eventually through the virtual exclusion of all other political parties) Preston New Road.
The wording in the above post was the description used by The Green Party for all future event advertising for Green Monday.
On the anniversary of one year of protests Tina Louise Rothery, posting on her blog, made her last move to exclude all other political parties from Preston New Road writing “on Friday 5th Jan – the anniversary, 365 days that Protectors have been at this site and we’re marking the date with Black Friday (One Year at PNR)”
Not content to mark this one day as “Black Friday” however, Ms Rothery saw fit to redesignate every Friday for the next year as "Black Friday" and communicated the same to Frack Off and other media contacts such as Drill or Drop. In so doing Ms Rothery and the Green Party had effectively blanked out "Red Friday" which had been the traditional day at Preston New Road for Labour & the Unions.
“As protests at Preston New Road resume after the festive break, it’s being suggested that, in addition to keeping the regular – and successful – Green Mondays and White Wednesdays, we also start building regular Black Fridays. Whilst the White Wednesdays will remain as non-action ‘Call for Calm’ days, it’s hoped that both Green Mondays and Black Fridays will now become the main ‘action’ days."
On January 11th 2018 chartered engineer and whistle blower, Mike Hill (BSc (Hons) C Eng. MIET, organised by Transition Town, gave a talk on fracking at Lancaster Town Hall. The venue was well attended with many residents keen to hear the negative impact hydraulic fracturing would have on their communities, a talk, which, it has been reported, was very well received. On completing his talk Mr Hill took questions from the audience. It was during the question and answer session that concerned residents asked the question ‘what could they do to stop this?’ Several people wished to speak, including a long time campaigner present at the event who later reported he was only allowed one minute after which the host, in company with local Green Party Councillor Gina Dowding, proceeded to announce the only way to help stop fracking was to attend the site on "Green Mondays" or "Women in White Wednesdays".
The opportunity to engage with a wide sector of the community willing, and able, to give their time and skills to effectively campaign against the hydraulic fracturing industry in residence at Preston New Road was thus completely wasted as the Green Party, apparently solely concerned with self promotion, hijacked the event.
On 01 June 2018 Cuadrilla was granted a comprehensive injunction which prevented virtually all forms of protest at the Preston New Road site. However many activists, campaigners and residents were astounded to realise that somehow, at the hearing, an exclusion had been negotiated to the effect that “Women in White” type weekly events would be excluded from the injunction rulings. Attending a meeting, gathering or vigil at the bell-mouth of the site entrance was also excluded from the injunction ruling leaving the way open for the continuation of Green Monday and Black Friday.
In 2017 John McDonnell MP, Labour Party politician and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer visited Preston New Road to find out first hand how Cuadrilla's fracking programme was having a negative impact on the environment, wildlife and local communities. However, during the time Mr McDonnell spent at Preston New Road he did not stand at the side of the road just giving a speech and electioneering but rather actively sought out activists and residents to listen, and learn, of the issues directly impacting on their lives. He was also extremely sympathetic to the manner in which protestors had been treated by the police and the Department for Work and Pensions who were targeting disabled campaigners and activists and left promising to investigate complaints. The Labour Party along with the Liberal Democrates and the Scottish National Party have all included a ban on high volume hydraulic fracturing in their manifesto pledges. This low key visit was a clear example of how politicians can be highly effective with their support without resorting to hijacking a campaign to further their own political aims.
Moving on to the latest travesty of Green Wash engineering The Green Party are continuing to exclude all other political parties and use Green Monday, White Wednesday and Black Friday and the anti-fracking campaign at Preston New Road to promote themselves and their own candidate, Councillor Gina Dowding, in the upcoming European Parliament elections with highly publicised events such as a recent visit from Green Party Deputy Leader Amelia Womack. This once again demonstrates how The Green Party are manipulating the Preston New Road protest for their own political agenda and allowing it to take precedence over that of the entire local community, many of whom have given all they had, their money, their homes, their health and some even their lives in an attempt to stop the wrecking ball that has been Cuadrilla's fracking ambitions.
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